168 Ries et al.: Impact of Statewide Urban Forestry Programs Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 2007. 33(3):168–175. The Impact of Statewide Urban Forestry Programs: A Survey of Cities in Oregon, U.S. Paul D. Ries, A. Scott Reed, and Sarah J. Kresse Abstract. All 50 U.S. states have a state urban forestry program that provides assistance to cities. Statewide surveys of city urban forestry leaders are a common tool for assessing urban forestry needs and accomplishments. Oregon has conducted two such comprehensive surveys, in 1992 and 2004. The 2004 survey was designed to gain insight into the scope and extent of the urban forest resource in Oregon to measure local program accomplishment since 1992 and to measure the impact of a statewide urban forestry assistance program. The survey had a return rate of 51%, and the results show differences among small, medium, and large communities. Results show that Oregon cities have made significant gains in urban forest management over the last 12 years. The data reveal insights of local urban foresters relative to tree-related issues and outcomes of local efforts. This research illustrates the impact a state urban forestry assistance program can have on local program accomplishment. Oregon cities that have received state assistance are more likely to have urban forestry program components such as tree ordinances and inventories, are more likely to be Tree City USA communities, and are more likely to be investing in urban forestry activities. Key Words. Performance measurement; program assessment; program impact; small communities; urban and commu- nity forestry; urban forestry planning. Many municipal urban forestry programs date back many decades, or in the case of older United States cities, more than 100 years. The practice of planting and managing trees in cities began as a local initiative in most of the United States, but in the past 25 years, it has grown to also become a coordinated state effort with a growing set of comprehensive goals and contributions to human welfare. State urban for- estry programs provide a valuable service to local urban for- estry programs through technology transfer, targeted grant funding, technical advice, and networking opportunities. Federal support for state-level urban forestry programs originated with passage of the 1978 Cooperative Forest Man- agement Act that authorized urban forestry cooperation be- tween the United States Forest Service and state forestry agencies. At that time, a handful of states created state-level urban forestry programs and more followed suit in later years. However, the most significant amount of growth in urban forestry program delivery has occurred since 1990, the year the United States Congress inserted an urban forestry titled “America the Beautiful” in its reauthorization of the federal Farm Bill legislation. Oregon was one of more than 24 states that created an urban forestry program as a result of the 1990 federal legis- lation. The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program (hereinafter cited as ©2007 International Society of Arboriculture ODF U&CF) was created in 1991 to help Oregonians im- prove their quality of life by promoting community invest- ment in our urban forests. ODF U&CF provides technical, financial, and educational assistance to help Oregon cities capitalize on the economic, environmental, and social ben- efits that trees provide. In partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, ODF has a small staff of urban foresters working directly with communities providing a wide array of urban forestry services. A primary concern and early priority of states with new urban forestry efforts was assessing the scope of the urban forest resource and gauging the opinions of local urban for- estry decision-makers. Many states thus began conducting needs assessments, municipal program analyses, and commu- nity leader opinion surveys in an effort to measure various facets of local and state urban forestry program needs, ac- complishments, and resource status. The nature of these stud- ies varied with state needs and situations and, although rarely do they share a common methodology or scope, they do provide a basis for helping the state urban forestry program make strategic decisions about program delivery. The scope and results of other urban forestry assessments are germane to this study. A national (U.S.) study (Tschantz and Sacamano 1994) funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the International Society of
May 2007
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